Beautiful Dreamers
by PhoenixFire Lia
Summary: This was kind of a weird plot. Matt and Sora have the same dream...which makes up the bulk of the story. Kind of a "Crouching Tiger" meets "Princess Mononoke" fic. I don't know. It's just Sorato and a bit gory. Sorry, I was trying to be detailed.


Beautiful Dreamers

Beautiful Dreamers

**_Anything that sounds like it was slapped with a big ol' copyright, we don't own. _**

**We _do _own: four books of manga, (CCS, Sailor Moon, Fushigi Yuugi, Magic Knight Rayearth), one Digimon puzzle, one plastic Biyomon, _the _godforsaken Nimoy-ish Matt Ishida throw pillow, a videocassette of Princess Mononoke, the Mandy Moore CD I'm listening to, and my dish of mint chip ice cream.**

** **

The room was blue with dim light, the outside world darkened save the streetlights and electric signs from the buzzing city below. Two figures were resting on the overstuffed, floral patterned couch, paying little attention to the television that was flickering in the corner. The digital clock on the VCR glowed green, reading 11:24. The movie that they had been thoroughly engrossed in two and a half hours ago was still playing, and now they could care less. A white plastic bowl sat on the coffee table, once filled with popcorn, now contained the unpopped kernels that were inedible. 

The two teenagers were sound asleep, nestled against each other. The young man was leaning against the throw pillows, locks of his golden hair spilling over into his eyes and obscuring his handsome face. His female companion buried her face in his shoulder, a cranberry colored blanket pulled up to her slender waist. She murmured a little sigh, loosely wrapping her arms around him. He shifted in his sleep, shuddering ever so slightly. 

~*~

Her silk kimono was torn, filthy, rank. She knelt helpless in the sand, her ankles and wrists bound by strong leather cords. Her eyelashes and lips were covered in the sand that was biting at every exposed inch of skin. Her lips were chapped, cracked, parched. The heat made her nauseous, but not as much as the stench of unwashed bodies, sweating animals, rancid meat. The scavengers picked through her things, pocketing anything that seemed to be of value. They scratched their oily scalps, lice jumping and dandruff falling in crusty snowflakes. One of them hobbled over in boots several sizes too big, forcing her mouth open and tipping a flask down her throat. She reluctantly swallowed, the foul taste of arid swill making her gag and retch. 

She closed her amber-ruby eyes, overcome with vertigo. Something splashed against her, and she quickly opened her eyes. The man that had been standing there was now lying in a gory pool, his blood splattered on her alabaster skin. The crimson fluid oozed in thick rivers down her body. The image was too much for her already jarred emotions. She fell back, the world going black. At the very edge of her consciousness, she heard someone calling to her. 

~*~

He paced the floor, wringing his hands in agitation. His bare feet padded against the cold marble, the soft sound the only thing audible throughout the hallway. There was a soft clicking as a young girl in wooden clogs hurried down the passage, carrying a little wooden tray.

"Swordsman Ishida?" she whispered. He glanced down at her, twilight blue eyes sparkling. "The healers are through. It's all right for you to go in."

"Thank you, Kimi."

"I'll be back. The kitchen staff wanted me to bring up a bowl of miso soup and some green tea."

The young man nodded and darted down the hallway, silent and lithe. He nudged a mahogany door open and slipped inside. 

She lay underneath silk sheets, her cheeks flushed with fever. She coughed and opened her eyes slowly, finding him standing over her. 

"I'm glad you're all right," he murmured, running his hand along the curve of her face. 

"Yamato…" she whispered, trying to sit up. 

"Lie back down, you've got heat sickness and if you think I'm going to let it worsen you've got another thing coming, Sora Takenouchi."

She smiled at him weakly. "You're so sweet."

Kimi, the little servant girl, snuck into the room, her tray laden with comfort food. 

"For you, Lady Takenouchi."

The poppy-haired girl nodded, once again trying to sit up. Her blonde companion shook his head and took up the bowl. 

"I told you, lie down," he said sternly, taking a pair of chopsticks from Kimi. 

The auburn-haired youth gasped, pulling a note from the pocket of her apron, handing it to Yamato. 

"Master Yamato, this came for you today! I would've given it to you earlier but when you and Lady Sora came in covered in blood it totally slipped my mind!"

He scanned the letter quickly, grimacing. "I have to leave."

Sora gasped. "No…you can't! Why?"

He held the note out in front of her. "The emperor's summon. I'm needed."

The young woman threw back her covers. "I'm coming too. You need me, I'm your partner…in more ways than one."

He shook his head. "No, I can't let you. You're unwell. Besides, after what happened yesterday, I can't risk anything else happening to you."

Sora threw her arms around him and wept, warm tears splashing onto his shoulder. 

"Please, Yamato! Don't leave. Please."

Yamato smiled faintly, wiped the stray tears off her cheeks, and got up. 

"I'll come back as soon as I can, Sora. You just get well for me."

And with those words, he left. She fell back onto her pillows and sobbed. 

~*~

She gasped in her sleep, knocking the blanket off the couch. Shuddering with sobs, she nuzzled closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her, enveloping her with warmth. Outside, the world rushed by in a flash of headlights and the screech of tires. The television crackled with static snow, the VCR whirring. The clock read 12:14 AM. 

~*~

The emperor leaned back in his throne, fingertips pressed together as he contemplated carefully. The weight of his robes and headpiece bore down on him considerably, and for such a young man, he seemed wise beyond years. 

"We are growing very impatient, Chancellor. We sent for Swordsman Ishida hours ago. Why hasn't he graced our presence yet?"

The chancellor wrung his hands. "Well, Your Majesty, he _is _coming from halfway across the empire. And there were reports just this morning that his companion the Lady Takenouchi had been ambushed by desert rogues, so that may very well have slowed him."

"We do not want excuses, Chancellor. We want things done quickly. Do we make ourselves clear?"

A/N: Don't you just love the authoritative plural royalty figures use? Hotohori uses it in the manga! 

"Perfectly clear, Your Majesty."

A young concubine dressed in lavish silks came scurrying towards the imperial throne. She bowed deeply before the sovereign before speaking. 

"The Swordsman Ishida is here, Your Majesty. Shall I have him sent here?"

"Yes, we would appreciate your efforts, Lei Lei."

She bowed again and exited, her slippered feet making not a single sound on the carpet laid out over the marble floors. 

The emperor sat up, straightened his headpiece, and tried to appear more regal than usual. 

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" Yamato questioned, bowing as he entered. 

"Ah, we did. We were getting a bit worried, Swordsman Ishida. You have never been tardy for an audience before us."

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I had some…personal matters to attend to."

The emperor nodded sympathetically and motioned for the girl, Lei Lei, to deposit the crystalline pitcher of cold drink on a small side table. 

"Yes, how is the Lady Takenouchi?"

Yamato blushed. "Fairing as well as someone with heat sickness can. As for the bandits who abducted her, those that didn't taste my blade have fled."

"Excellent. We are aware that you and the Lady were just returning from your journey to the north, and we apologize for such shortcomings in informing you sooner, but…"

"Say no more, Your Majesty. I am at your service, as always."

The emperor smiled, pouring himself a drink and sipping it lazily. "I know I can count on you. The situation is grave, and could mean the destruction of my empire." 

A pair of servants unrolled a length of paper, revealing a large map of the kingdom. The emperor picked up a golden staff and pointed to the center. 

"As you can see, Swordsman Ishida, this is where the palace is located. And if we are correct, you reside here." He pointed to a location west of the city. 

"Yes, and the Lady lives with me as my guest."

"The imperial forest, here, three miles from your home, is where the problem is. We have been told that the creatures in the forest have suddenly begun metamorphosing into monsters that enter, here, from the southwest."

"Is that why I have heard nothing of this?" 

The emperor smiled. "Don't forget, you and the Lady have been gone for several months. I fear, not as we the emperor but as me the man, for the people of my empire. You see, after my father died it was my sole duty to run this kingdom at the tender age of eight. It was under my reign that the country flourished. Truthfully, our empire grew not by force, but because the surrounding countries wanted to share in our bounty. I have been working my whole life to make our empire a strong one, and I cannot imagine what will happen if the peace and prosperity of decades crumbles."

Yamato stood, bowing again. "I swear on my honor to do everything in my power to restore the harmony, Your Majesty."

"Go with my blessing, Yamato Okami Ishida. May the gods shine down on your endeavor."

**_M/N: Lia's been making up middle names again. Three guesses what mine might be. _**

~*~

The Lady Takenouchi slept for several hours, waking as Kimi padded into the room. She sat up in her bed, feeling slightly better than she has when she had woken earlier. 

"Any word from Master Yamato?" she questioned, accepting another cup of tea from the girl. 

Kimi dug around in her pockets again, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed with frustration. 

"The falconers just gave me a note from the palace addressed to you, Lady Sora. I just had it…ah! Here we are."

The girl handed the parchment to her superior, picking up an empty bowl and straightening the pillows while the young woman perused the message. 

Sora~ 

_I've been sent on a mission that will take me west, to the imperial forest. It would aid me considerably if you stay where you are and continue regaining your strength. I know you want to try and come, and the answer is no. _

Sora frowned at this. Yamato was always good at reading thoughts. 

You are of more value at home, especially if I fail in stopping whatever it is I'm supposed to be fighting. Don't make that face, Lady Takenouchi, it will stay that way. 

She smiled at those words, leaning back in her pillows. 

That's the Sora I love. May the gods keep you well, my lady. I will send word as often as I can. 

_Always yours,_

_~Yamato _

Sora swung her legs over the side of the bed, rested her head in a hand for a moment, then rose, walking shakily towards a wardrobe. 

"Lady Sora, what are you…?"

"If Yama thinks I'm staying home like some bedridden, incapacitated, _helpless _housewife he has another thing coming. Kimi, my garments. And tell Yoshi to saddle up Uma."

A/N: Uma is the Japanese word for horse. So Sora has a horse named Horse. 

**_Is that like an ape named Ape?_**

George, George, George of the Jungle… 

Kimi shook her little head, folding her arms across her chest. "Master Yamato said no."

Sora grinned slyly. "Yes, but is Master Yamato here?"

"No, but…"

"And what Master Yamato doesn't know, won't hurt us. Besides, what if he gets himself into trouble out there? Hmm? He'd need my help. Please, Kimi. He may be your master, but Yamato is my partner, my friend, and my love."

The girl sighed, reluctantly opening the wardrobe doors. "Your coral robes or your blue ones?"

~*~

Yamato glanced over his shoulder towards the east, where the moon was just climbing over the horizon, huge and glowing ivory. He had reached the border of the imperial forest as the sun dipped down below the canopy of treetops. Silhouetted in the curve of the moon was his own home, standing proudly on the hillside. He smugly admitted to himself that he lived in a mansion, but as the swordsman to the emperor, one could afford such luxuries. Of course, a generous portion of his payments went to aiding the destitute of the city. 

He absentmindedly flicked another branch onto his campfire, not daring to venture into the forest alone, at night, and with monsters roaming around. Wolves were one thing. He could handle wolves. It was wolves turned to hideous creatures with snarling jaws dripping with foam and claws that could rake a man in two that he worried about. Even the chipmunks and squirrels were a hazard! 

"I wonder if I made the right decision in leaving Sora behind," Yamato sighed to himself. "After all, she _is _my partner. Her martial arts skills surpass my own, and I'm sure she could handle a sword as well as I can."

The horse whickered behind him, as if in agreement. 

"And she's a lot better company then you are, Akai. No, I was right. She's not well, and she wouldn't be up to full strength."

In the distance, out on the main road, a light flickered. Yamato caught sight of this, rising to his feet and placing a hand on the hilt of the deadly weapon strapped to his side. The soft plodding of metal horseshoes on dust and the murmur of a rider were the only sounds audible. 

"Good evening," the rider called in a clear tone. "Might you know where I can find Yamato Ishida, swordsman of the Emperor?"

"I am the Swordsman Ishida."

The rider leapt from their mount, a paper lantern swinging wildly. The figure walked forward with an elegant stride, holding the lantern close to their face. 

"And I am the Lady Takenouchi, come to aid you on your quest to restore the harmony to our empire."

Yamato stared at her, unmoving. He was unsure of whether to be furious, or to be overjoyed. Sora bowed her head slightly. 

"I couldn't stay at home, and reading your letter made me want to come even more."

The blonde warrior walked over to her, reached out his hand, and slapped her across the cheek. 

"_That _was for your disobedience and insubordination," he stated, icily. 

The redheaded woman clutched her throbbing cheek, tears welling in her eyes. 

Yamato scooped her up into his arms and kissed her, his lips warm and tender. 

"And that?" she questioned. 

"For your disobedience and insubordination."

"I'm sorry, Yamato. I just couldn't let you do this alone. I didn't want you getting hurt, so I…"

He pressed a finger to her lips, cutting her off. 

"Did you hear that?"

She shook her head. He released his grasp on her, drawing a shining blade from its sheath. 

There was a high-pitched shriek as something huge and black swooped out of the forest, pumping its gigantic leathery wings, air rushing in gigantic gusts. It opened its mouth, exposing rows of daggerlike fangs, glinting pale off the moonlight, twin tips glittering with the ruby stain of blood. It snarled, foam bubbling at its jowls. 

"By the Gods! What _is _that thing?" Sora gasped. 

"I believe, my dear, it is your common bat-turned-vicious mutant," Yamato replied sarcastically. 

A/N: I almost wrote Tamahome. Hmm…LOOK EVERYONE, IT'S YAMAHOME!!!! SQUEE!

**_Oh brother. -_-; _**

The young man held his sword up, poised for combat. 

"Sora, get back!"

"But I…"

"Run, now!" he commanded as the monstrous creature dove out of the air. Sora backed off, crouching a safe distance away and checking her assortment of concealed weapons, preparing herself for the fray. 

Yamato parried and lashed with his sword wildly, trying to sink the blade into the flesh of the hideous beast. Although the bat was gigantic and rather grotesque, it was quick, flitting and fluttering like the tiniest butterfly. 

But butterfly it wasn't. The monster descended, curling back its lips and sinking those razor sharp fangs into the shoulder of the swordsman. Yamato shrieked in agony, dropping his sword to the dust and clutching the wound, blood oozing from between his fingers. 

"Yamato, it's coming back! Pick up your sword and get it!" Sora cried, ready to join in at the moment's notice. 

He was ready in an instant. Yamato dove across the ground, rolling, taking up the sword and back on his feet in one swift motion. He raised the sword, slicing the air. The motion hit its mark, and one leathery wing shredded. The bat flapped its useless wing, faltering. It crashed to the ground, skidding across the moss and dirt and kicking up turf. Yamato deftly turned the blade, plunging it into the monster's flanks. It heaved upwards, quivered, and died. The young swordsman wiped the blade on a scrap of fabric, sheathed it, and fell to his knees, hand poised over his shoulder. 

Sora sprinted over, toting a small bag. She slid on the ground, slick with blood and gore, and halted right by her partner's side. 

"Take your shirt off," she ordered, dipping into her bag. 

"Sora, I really don't think now is the best time to…"

"Yamato, keep your mind out of the trash heaps and do as I say. You're losing blood fast and I won't be able to fix you up with five yards of silk in the way."

He removed the blood-soaked cloth, taking his hand away from the gash. 

"Now I'm doubly glad you ignored my orders," he said through clenched teeth as the redheaded young woman washed the lesion with an astringent she kept in a small vial in her pouch. She smeared a greasy ointment on the raw skin and bandaged it tightly. 

"There. That should heal up fast," she murmured, wiping the blood and lotion off her hands. 

"Sora, thank you," Yamato sighed, grabbing a clean shirt from his saddlebags and sliding it on. He yawned and sank down beside the fire, still flickering cheerfully. 

She was already asleep, wrapped in a blanket she had pulled out of somewhere. Yamato smiled at her, picked up her lantern, kissed her cheek, and walked off into the pitch-dark forest. 

~*~

"I walked off without her again. I should've taken her with me," Yamato mused to himself. "No. After that stupid bat…she'd get hurt. It's too dangerous out here. I've got to stop whatever it is now. I'll come back for her soon."

Soft rustlings of dry leaves and the whispers of the fresh green variety resounded through the forest. The quiet, gasping sound of something breathing other than the lone swordsman caused his pulse to quicken. Yellow eyes flickered in the underbrush, growls issuing. The scraping sound of claws on dirt and moss grated in his ears. Yamato drew his sword, the metal ringing as it left its leather casing. A hoard of lowly coyotes sprang from the bushes, foaming and snarling as rabid beasts perform. They were mutants of a kind, beasts so hideously grotesque that they could not be of this world, or any. They circled around, ragged, dull coats glinting in the lamplight. 

"Bring it on, I'm ready for a fray," Yamato hissed, digging his heels into the soft earth. One or two of the beasts pounced, jaws open wide to crush bones and shred flesh. They fell, succumbing to gashes that rent them in two, entrails spilling from the lacerations. The young swordsman was quick, but not as quick as the gaunt creatures. One sprang up, sinking fangs into the exposed flesh of his sword arm. The weapon clattered to the ground. A second tackled him, knocking him back and pinning the young man down by his shoulders and collarbone. The other coyotes watched, grinning with their wicked teeth as saliva trickled along their jowls. The canine holding Yamato down raised its head, mouth open wide, ready to snap his jaw around his exposed jugular vein. 

It was at this exact moment that the Lady Takenouchi came tromping into the scene, hands on her hips, hair frizzled from humidity and sleep. She had woken the moment after her companion had left, chasing after him in the shadows. The young woman had seen the lamplight from a distance and hastened to catch him. 

"Yamato Okami Ishida, how _dare _you take off wi…" 

Her voice trailed off. The color drained from her face. The coyote's head lowered, fangs poised on that crucial vein. 

~*~

"Yamato!" 

She woke with a start, screaming hysterically. His screams of terror joined hers, and the both of them tumbled off the couch, falling spread-eagle on the Oriental rug. She was sobbing now, clinging to his body, slick with perspiration. 

"Oh Matt…" she whimpered, tears splashing on his clothes. 

He held her close, rocking on his knees. "Sora, don't cry. It was just a dream, that's all."

"Matt…"

He lovingly stroked her hair. "I'm here, it's all right. Don't cry anymore, Sora. I won't leave you, I promise."

They clambered back up onto the couch, settling themselves once again on the soft cushions. She smiled childishly and closed her eyes, sleep being the main priority. He flashed her the ghost of a smile and succumbed to his own exhaustion. The clock on the VCR flickered 12:46 AM. 

~*~

A dagger lodged itself in the ribcage of the coyote poised over the young man. The beast howled in agitation, removing itself from its prey and whipping that great head towards the cause of the blinding pain searing its flesh. The Lady Takenouchi stood with knives and throwing stars held between every finger. The Swordsman Ishida gasped for breath, the wind having been knocked out of him through the force of the blow. The Lady flung her deadly weapons, each hitting a vital point in their adversaries, who instantly fell over dead. The lead coyote still stood before her, the dagger having not reached the creature's heart. Lady Takenouchi drew back the sleeve of her powder-blue robes, revealing a wrist-mounted crossbow. A single arrow flew from it, lodging deep in the beast's eye, the metal shaft piercing the skull and brain. As the monster fell, the feathered shaft quivered in its mark. 

"Thank…you…Lady," the swordsman wheezed, trying to find his voice again. 

She walked over to his side, stepping over the fallen carcasses. He glanced up at her, golden hair falling into his eyes. The Lady Takenouchi held out her palm, striking his cheek with brutal force. 

"That," she said with a cool, even tone, "was for deceiving me."

The swordsman said nothing, silent save for his raspy breathing. The poppy-haired young woman jerked her partner up by his collar and kissed him deeply. 

"And that?"

"For deceiving me."

~*~

They walked until morning, working as a team to fight off the shades of darkness. He with his incredible swordsmanship, she with martial arts skills surpassing the greatest of samurai warriors. And yet, they could not find the source of the transformations in the forest creatures. 

"We better find whoever it is soon, I'm running out of throwing ammo," the Lady sighed. 

The blonde swordsman grinned foolishly. "You could throw cooking pots and chopsticks."

"Hmph. You'll be my first target, Yamato, if you keep up the jokes."

"I wonder how the horses are faring."

Sora raised an eyebrow in confusion. "We're on a mission from the emperor and you're worried about the _horses_?"

"If we don't have horses," Yamato mused, "we won't be getting home any time soon."

Sunlight gleamed off the dew-kissed emerald leaves, the shining beads of water dripping onto the moist earth. The forest was silent, the trill of birdsong and buzz of insects missing. It was an eerie, uncomfortable feeling for the two heroes as they walked soundlessly over the lush moss that covered the hunting trails.__

"So…you are the Swordsman Ishida and the Lady Takenouchi," the voice of an unseen figure stated. "I have heard much about you."

Metal sang as Yamato drew his blade, sunbeams glinting off the metal. Sora pulled back her sleeve and fitted an arrow to the taut bowstring. A figure leapt from a sturdy bow, his own rapier in hand. 

"You're the emperor's son!" Sora gasped, stepping backwards in surprise. 

"You're behind this?" Yamato questioned, his voice icy. 

The young man scowled, twirling the hilt of his rapier in his fingers. 

"And do you know why? Because I am second born! When my father dies, all the land that stretches from coast to coast will go to my _sister! _A _woman _running this empire! It's abominable! A female ruler will be weak, the empire will crumble in less time than it takes to make tea!"

The Lady Takenouchi narrowed her amber-ruby eyes. "And you think by turning the forest creatures into monsters this will change anything?"

"If I don't get what I want, I take it by force! If I have to destroy the empire, I will. I can rebuild it in a season, better than before! Now stand aside, fools."

The swordsman charged, expertly handing the weapon in his hands. The emperor's son smirked, parrying the blow. 

The fray continued for several minutes, the Lady trying to get a clear shot at the opponent but finding it difficult. Yamato was flung against a tree, where he fell, stunned. 

"Get up!" Sora shrieked as the young prince ran towards him, blade aimed at his heart and hollering bloody murder. Yamato blocked, the other man's sword snapping with a metallic clang. 

"I see that my combat skills are no match against yours, Swordsman. But how are you at handling magic? Creature, I summon thee!"

**_M/N: Lia! Quit it with the Rayearth refs. _**

A/N: Oh, come on, be a sport. And don' interrupt. 

A huge toad hopped out of the woods, its throat bulging as it croaked. 

"Creature, destroy the Swordsman!"

The toad's enormous pink tongue whipped out towards the young warrior, ready to snap him up and swallow him whole. The protruding tongue stopped short inches from him, however, an arrow quivering in the flesh. 

"Don't touch him," the Lady spat, pulling a dagger from her boot. 

The toad snapped its tongue back into its mouth, made somewhat of a chewing motion, and lashed the tongue out again, the shaft of the arrow gone. But this time the toad wrapped its slimy tongue around Lady Sora, using the powerful muscle to crush her. 

"Sora!" Yamato hollered, leaping and bringing the blade down. The toad's tongue lolled on the ground, sliding its writhing coils off the gasping young woman. The toad itself vanished in a hissing cloud of smoke. 

"How endearing, each protecting the other, even if it means self-sacrifice," the emperor's son sneered. 

"If that's all the magic you can do, I'd say you were a pretty pitiful mage," Yamato taunted, ready for another go. 

"Yamato, don't provoke him!" Sora hissed. "Neither one of us have magic powers, so he has the advantage."

"Who needs magic when I have the greatest gift of all guarding my life?" he murmured. 

The emperor's son smiled, his steely eyes lighting with an evil illumination. Every muscle was tensed, every hair on his powerful arms raised, the air around him crackling with a magical electricity. The Lady and the swordsman stood motionless, braced for whatever the young mage would throw at them. The forest grew silent, as if the creatures could sense the impending death. 

"Ready, love?" Lady Sora questioned. Yamato nodded curtly.

Lady Takenouchi fired a volley of arrows, a cloud of metal, wood and feathers aimed at the emperor's son. Distracted by the airborne assault, he was unable to see the swordsman spring on him until it was almost too late. Purple-black light surging with a negative force exploded from the sorcerer's hands, one shot to the Lady, another to the swordsman. Both screamed in agony, Yamato bringing his sword down hard. However, the sword hit its mark with a sickening metallic sound as the blade plunged into the second-born child right to the hilt. He shrieked in rage and defeat, falling to the ground with an overdramatic air. 

Yamato took three, four steps forward before collapsing, the Lady Sora doing the same. She smiled weakly at him, breaths coming short and faltering now. His deep midnight-blue eyes were starting to cloud over. 

"You saved the empire," she whispered, taking his hand in her own.

"_We _saved it," he corrected. 

Sora nodded, straining to keep her soul from departing. "We…aren't going to make it."

"I know. Marry me…in heaven, my Lady Sora."

She kissed his lips one last time, warmth draining from his body. 

"I love you, Yamato," she sighed, her last breath drawn. 

"Sora…"

There was a flash of ethereal white light, soft ivory feathers trickling through golden warmth.

~*~

"Matt…Sora…"

The two teenagers opened their eyes slowly, blinking owlishly. They exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. Sora looked as though she may burst into tears, and yet she was blushing heavily. Matt appeared utterly spent, soaked in perspiration, golden locks plastered to his neck and face. Mrs. Takenouchi, who had been taken out to play and a late night drink by her husband, who had to head back to Kyoto in order to teach a Saturday class, stood over the couch. 

"That must have been some movie," she commented, glancing at the television screen, still on. 

Sora nuzzled up against Matt. "Too violent for my tastes," she murmured. 

"And the ending sucked. That's the last time I take movie tips from my brother," Matt added. 

"It's late. Why don't you crash here for the night? We'll call your father in the morning, Matt."

"Yeah, thanks. I doubt I can move anyway."

The florist nodded, turning off the television and a few lights that had been left on, making her way down the darkened hall to her bedroom. 

Sora started to get up and head for her own room, Matt stretching out on the couch. 

"We had the same dream, didn't we?" she asked. 

He nodded. "Maybe it was something in the popcorn."

The redheaded girl sighed, too exhausted to move. She picked up the blanket, tossed it around her slender shoulders, and curled up beside her young lover. 

"G'night Matt. I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, holding her close. 

The last image they both shared before falling into deep sleep was of the Lady Takenouchi and the Swordsman Ishida riding side-by-side through golden sunlight and tall grass, the wind blowing their hair back as they raced forward towards forever. 

~*~

**Wow. I don't know _where _that one came from. **

**_Neither do I. Jeez, Lia, you got violent!_**

**I was going for detail. If the plot of that thing confused you…Matt can explain.**

Me?! Oh, fine. It was all a dream. Except for when we were awake. 

**Which I think I got from a combination Fushigi Yuugi, Princess Mononoke, and Magic Knight Rayearth. Please send me reviews! I love reviews! **

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